Connect with Us

Kitsap’s Summer Festival Season kicks off...

It all starts this weekend with seagulls, enviro-lovers and paintballers next weekend. Plus new random Kitsapness taking shape.

CALLING ALL SEAGULL CALLERS

Port Orchard is a festival kind of town. In addition hosting the upcoming Cedar Cove Days, (see related DebbieMacomber's Cedar Cove Comes to Life) Port Orchard’s downtown corridor, waterfront boardwalks and swaths of parking space-lined pavement are already home to quite a number of town parades and celebrations, carnivals and niche festivals every summer.

The county’s festival season, (see the events calendar at VisitKitsap.com), basically kicks off each year with one of Port Orchard’s finest waterfront extravaganzas — The Seagull Calling Festival.

This year, May 2 marks the 21st annual bird-calling beach party, with all the usual shenanigans and most-unusual attractions including the second annual ‘seagull’ Wings Cook-off — with returning champs from Amy’s on the Bay. Plus, new this year to wash it all down, a non-alcoholic, seagull-inspired beverage contest.

Some 60 vendors — the largest vendor turnout ever, by at least 10 — will be there armed with the knowledge to answer almost any environmental question, sell eco-friendly goods and hold demonstrations on energy-efficient living.

This year’s fest ushers in face painting, a lama and a lamb and a performance by the Boot Scootin’ Grannies, along with the traditional offerings of drama performances by the Frog Chorus, children’s stories and a few owls from the West Sound Wildlife Shelter.

Native plants are available for purchase for $5 to $25.

Shuttle service to Stillwaters will be provided from the farmers market, the community center and Cleos Landing. Parking is available at the Bay Side Community Church, which is just a short walk to Stillwaters.

Ecofest runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 2 and is free of charge.

“There will be all kinds of interesting information and you’ll get to be around people who also care about the earth,” Stillwaters Administrative Director Naomi Maasberg said, listing a few of the benefits of attending Ecofest. “People can spend time with the environmental community and find new community groups to get involved in. It’s a fun day.”

Plus, find an expanded article on Eco-Fest, along with an in depth look at recycling, composting and where Kitsap’s trash ends up in today’s North Kitsap Herald.

KIT-SPLAT FEST ’09

Northwest Paintball Park, a family-friendly paintballing venue located off of Waaga Way between Central Valley and East Bremerton, hosts one of the county’s biggest paintball events May 9. The park will be open from 9 a.m. to dusk with games for first timers and experienced players, plus to showcase games beginning at 1 p.m. Info: Call (360) 377-0398

We encourage an open exchange of ideas on this story's topic, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. Personal attacks, inappropriate language, and off-topic comments may be removed, and comment privileges revoked, per our Terms of Use. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.